Silverknife - Technology and Making: Cloud Computing for Beginners, Part 3: Features of Online Storage

So, what are the most interesting features of today's online file storage providers?

Automatic Syncing

The old method of offsite storage was to add files to a queue which would then be (slowly) transferred to your online repository. The user would have to monitor the files in transfer, often restart the process if the connection was lost, and if a file changed it had to be added to the queue again. Most modern online storage hosts provide software which automatically synchronises your computer with the net - you simply check off whichever folders you want synced, and the software will work away in the background uploading all the files for you. If you edit, remove or add to the files in a synced folder, those changes will be automatically passed on to the online version. If the connection is lost in the middle of a transfer, the software can often resume the process without having to start that file all over again.

Mount Your Storage like a Hard Drive

Many of the major online file hosts now offer the ability to hook up your storage just as though it was a hard drive. This gives you easy access to your stored files using your file browser, without having to go through a webpage or load up a dedicated program. More importantly, it allows your computer to work with the space as thought it was just another drive, so you can use your preferred tools to work with your data.

Sequential Backups

If the software you use to access your online storage offers sequential backups, you can upload only the files (or even parts of files) which have changed since the last upload. This saves a considerable amount of bandwidth if you are working with very large files or regularly editing large amounts of data.

Versioning

Some online hard drives (mostly those offering sequential backups) now offer versioning on smaller files (like text documents and spreadsheets) - when you upload a new copy, the system keeps track of what has been changed and allows you to access older versions in case of corruption or user error.

File Sharing

With file sharing capability, you can select any file you have uploaded and create a download link to send to another user, usually without requiring them to sign up or install any software themselves.

Multiple Users and Access Controls

Sometimes offered only to paying subscribers, these features allow you to give other users access to different parts of your online storage. Access control means that you can determine how much access a given user has (view-only, read and write, no deletions etc.) and to which files and folders specifically.

Interconnectivity

The most exciting potential of online file storage solutions, and what really makes them part of the Cloud, is the possibility of interconnecting with other online services. Image files in your internet hard drive can be shared in online galleries like Flickr and Photobucket or ordered as prints, videos can be embedded in pages or shared via sites like YouTube, audio files can be streamed or embedded, and so on. The possibilities of interconnectivity are expanding every day, and will be a large part of the power of the Cloud in future.

Next post: Interesting Players in Online Storage